Thursday, June 4, 2009

Buzz Aldrin promotes Speedmaster Moonwatch

It's been 40 years since Buzz Aldrin followed Neil Armstrong's one small step off Apollo 11 - and not every memory from the historic lunar landing is fond.

"It's not a very pleasant place to set up housekeeping," the legendary astronaut joked Wednesday in a visit to New York.

There was a rank reality to those romantic, grainy images from video archives.

"It got pretty dusty, pretty smelly and by the time they came back they were pretty tired and hungry," he said of man's first footsteps on the moon.

The July 20, 1969 landing forever linked Aldrin and Armstrong the planet's storied space history.

But Aldrin, 79, admits the two haven't spoken in years.

"I'm an egg head from MIT with combat experience," said Aldrin. Aldrin said his Air Force background conflicted with Armstrong's Navy roots - and the differences made them "not always all that compatible."

He insists there's no grudge that Armstrong got to step off the lunar module first.

"I'm not jealous of anybody else, why should I be?" he said.

Aldrin was in town Wednesday to donate a watch for display at the Omega flagship store at 711 Fifth Ave. Aldrin wore an Omega similar to the one he donated when he stepped onto the moon.

Reflecting on his achievements, the humble hero noted that he attributes some of his success to sheer luck.

"It's not always the best person selected; you just happen to be in the right place at the right time," he told reporters.